Archive | September, 2016

New Delhi, Sept 30 (PTI) Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday reviewed the security situation in the country, particular along the border with Pakistan in the wake of the surgical strikes by the Army on terror launch pads in PoK

During the hour-long meeting, the top security brass of the country briefed the Home Minister about the situation along the border and steps being taken to foil any Pakistani design to attack BSF posts besides safety of civilian population living in forward areas

The Home Minister instructed the officials to ensure that the forces posted along the border remain on alert as situation along the Indo-Pak border continues to be volatile after Thursday’s surgical strike by Army, official sources said

Those who attended the meeting include National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and top officials of security and intelligence agencies

BSF, which comes under the Home Ministry, has already put all its units along the Indo-Pak border on “high alert”

Orders have been issued to all its units along IB in Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat to step up vigil and bolster their numbers at the posts by bringing in all personnel who are in the reserve

BSF has also restricted all civilian movement along borders with Pakistan.The border guarding force has also been asked by the Home Ministry to provide manpower to local administration for helping in evacuating people from border villages to safer locations

India carried out ’surgical strikes’ on terror launch pads across LoC on Saturday, inflicting “significant casualties” on terrorists and those who are trying to support them

The announcement of the sudden action by the Army was made yesterday by DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, 11 days after the terror strike by Pakistan-based JeM on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Kashmir which left 18 Indian soldiers dead.

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Afghanistan today backed India’s surgical strikes on terror launch pads in PoK, terming it as an act of “self-defence”, and in a strong message to Pakistan asserted that time has come to take “tough” and “risky” decisions to deal with the menace of terrorism.

Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India Shaida Abdali said his country does not make distinction between terrorist groups and is against all such organisations that pose a danger and threat to any country in the world.

When asked about Afghanistan’s stand on the surgical strikes undertaken by India in PoK, Abdali told reporters at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia,”We hope that no one will allow its territory as a safe haven for terrorists to be used against neighbouring countries.”

“If terrorist groups continue to exist without action, no wonder self-defence against such terrorist groups will be in the form of action that we saw,” he said, referring to the surgical strikes conducted by India on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting “significant casualties” on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Abdali said it was “high time we take tough decisions” and they may be “risky” but are needed to be taken to end terrorism.

He said such decisions may have a cost but the cost is worth it because “we have to end this continued terrorism that affects our people, our lives every day and is taking our vision backward day by day.”

“We have to fight a phenomenon that is going to inflict us in a much bigger way….the core is that we have to act. The problem that we have is that it is increasingly taking our lives so at whatever cost, we have to end it,” Abdali said.

After India, Afghanistan was among three other countries which pulled out of the SAARC summit to be hosted by Pakistan.

In a terse statement Afghanistan said, “Due to the increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan, the President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani with his responsibilities as the Commander in Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the Summit.”

The Afghan envoy said he can see Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking “bold decisions” and emphasised that there was a need for the leaderships in the region and the governments to take bold decisions and “risks in order to free ourselves (from terrorism) for good”.

Asked about the situation in Balochistan and the human rights violations there, Abdali said, “We have a problem of terrorism and Balochistan is our neighbour. We are being affected from our neighbourhood. Terrorism exists and at the same time people suffer there.”

“We want to fight terrorism for the sake of all of us. For the sake of the common people of Pakistan, for the Balochis there and for all others living there, especially the Pashtuns. So we would like to end the atrocity, the wars in whatever forms there may be in order for the people to live freely,” the Afghan envoy said.

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said a “strong message” has been sent with the surgical strikes by Army against terror bases across the Line of Control (LoC) and insisted that Pakistan bears a “great responsibility” in the continuing cross-border attacks in India.

Offering the party’s support to the government in the battle against terror, Gandhi said in a statement that “this is a strong message that conveys our country’s resolve to prevent further infiltration and attacks on our security forces and our people”.

With the Uri terror attack apparently weighing heavily on her mind, Gandhi asked Pakistan to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism that “it has supported and ensure that its territory and the territory under its control is not used for terrorist purposes against India”.

“The party hopes that Pakistan will recognise that it bears a great responsibility in the continuing cross-border terrorist attacks against India,” she said.

Congratulating the armed forces on the success of the operation, she said the party stands by the government in its actions today to protect the country’s security and deal with the menace of terrorism from across the border.

India conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads last night across the Line of Control (LoC) and inflicted significant casualties and heavy damage.

The announcement of the sudden action by the army to target terrorists was made by DGMO Lt Gen Ranveer Singh at a hurriedly called news conference during which External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup was also present.

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Seven terror launch pads were targeted across the LoC by special forces of the Indian Army during the ’surgical strike’ overnight in which heliborne and ground forces were used, defence sources said today.

The sources said the operation began at around mid-night last night and ended at around 4:30 AM this morning.

The terror launch pads targeted were in the range of 2 to 3km from the Line of Control(LoC) and were under surveillance for over one week, the sources said.

They said the operation was a combination of heliborne and ground forces.

Earlier, addressing a press conference, DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said India carried out ’surgical strike’ on terror launch pads across the LoC, inflicting “significant casualties” on terrorists and those who are trying to support them.

He said “based on very credible and specific information which we received yesterday that some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launch pads along the Line of Control with an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes in Jammu & Kashmir and in various other metros in our country, the Indian army conducted surgical strikes last night at these launch pads.”

The announcement of the strikes by the Indian army was made soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security(CCS).

The DGMO said he had spoken to the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations and explained India’s concerns and also shared with him details of the operation.

“It is India’s intention to maintain peace and tranquility in the region, but we can certainly not allow the terrorists to operate across the Line of Control with impunity and attack the citizens of our country.

“In line with Pakistan’s commitment made in January 2004 not to allow its soil or territory under its control for any terrorist activities against India, we expect the Pakistani army to cooperate with us with a view to erase this menace of terrorism from our region,” he said.

Srinagar, Sep 28 (PTI) Curfew was today imposed in Koimoh town of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district in view of the separatists call for a march, while restrictions on the assembly of people continued in the rest of the Valley.

A police official said the curbs in the town were imposed as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order in the wake of the separatists call for a march to the area.

The separatists, who are spearheading the current agitation in Kashmir, have asked people to march to various tehsil headquarters, including Koimoh, today.

The official said while there was no curfew in any other areas in Kashmir, restrictions on the assembly of people under section 144 CrPc were in place in the rest of the Valley.

Meanwhile, normal life continued to remain affected in the Valley for the 82nd straight day today due to the separatist call for shut down but there was increased movement of private vehicles in the city, indicating mass fatigue among the populace due to the prolonged unrest.

Shops, petrol pumps and other business establishments remained closed. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions also remained closed across the Valley.

As many as 82 persons, including two cops, have been killed and thousands of others injured in the ongoing unrest that started after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir on July 8.

New Delhi, Sept 28 (PTI) Apart from India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan have also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding of the meet, resulting in its collapse.

Amidst heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced its decision of pulling out of the Summit late last night citing increased “cross-border” attacks.

While Bangladesh has categorically said that “the growing interference” in its internal affairs by one country has “created an environment which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the SAARC Summit”, Afghanistan pulled out citing “terrorism in the region” for its abstention.

“Bangladesh, as the initiator of the SAARC process, remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in a more congenial atmosphere. In view of the above, Bangladesh is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad,” it said.

Afghanistan has also conveyed to SAARC Chair Nepal that President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani would not be able to attend the Summit, sources said.

“Due to increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan”, President Ghani “with his responsibilities as the Commander-in-Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the Summit”, a communication by the country said.

Bhutan said while it is committed to the SAARC process and strengthening of regional cooperation, it is concerned over the “recent escalation of terrorism in the region, which has seriously compromised the environment for the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016.”

“Further, the Royal Government of Bhutan shares the concerns of some of the member countries of SAARC on the deterioration of regional peace and security due to terrorism and joins them in conveying our inability to participate in the SAARC Summit, under the current circumstances.”

The decision by India and three countries of the eight- member grouping not to attend the summit would lead to its collapse since as per the SAARC charter the Summit can not be held even in the absence of one head of the government.

The Uri attack has triggered a strong response from India which has reviewed the 56-year-old Indus Water Treaty (IWT), and decided to reconsider the MFN status granted by it, unilaterally, to Pakistan.

The Foreign Secretary had also issued a demarche yesterday to Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit over the attack while confronting him with the proof of “cross-border origins” of the terror strike.

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) The Supreme Court today expressed unhappiness over non-appearance of Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan through his lawyer in connection with the sensational Bulandshahr gangrape case and asked CBI to serve a fresh notice on the Samajwadi Party leader.

“In our considered opinion, the respondent number 2 (Khan) should have entered appearance as there is a direct allegation against him. In view of the aforesaid, we direct CBI to serve the notice on respondent number 2,” a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said.

It directed the apex court registry to provide copy of the case records along with the notice to CBI for serving them on the minister.

The court said that it seems whatever had been said by Khan is in “his personal capacity”.

The remarks came when Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for CBI, submitted that the notice could have been served through UP government as Khan is part of the cabinet.

The bench, meanwhile, allowed lawyer Kislay Pandey, appearing for the victim’s father, to file additional documents in the case and fixed the matter for further hearing on October 25.

The brutal incident had happened on the night of July 29 when a group of highway robbers stopped the car of a Noida- based family and sexually assaulted the woman and her daughter after dragging them out of the vehicle at gun-point.

The apex court had on August 29 taken note of the controversial remarks of Khan that the gangrape case was a “political conspiracy”, while staying the CBI probe in the case. It had also asked whether the State should stop people holding high offices from making such comments on heinous crimes.

On September 8, the court lifted the stay on CBI probe in the case after modifying its earlier order and asked the agency to proceed as per law.

CBI had moved the apex court seeking modification of the order staying its ongoing probe in the case, saying it may cause “disappearance of material evidences” besides enabling six accused to seek statutory bail.

New Delhi, Sept 27 (PTI) After Indus Water Treaty, India will review the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status given to Pakistan at a meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Thursday.

The decision to review the MFN, which was granted by India unilaterally in 1996, comes in the wake of the Uri attack over which India is weighing options to respond.

The MFN status was accorded in 1996 under WTO’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Both India and Pakistan are signatories to this which means they have to treat each other and rest of WTO member countries as favoured trading partners.

According to Assocham, out of India’s total merchandise trade of USD 641 billion in 2015-16, Pakistan accounted for a meagre USD 2.67 billion.

India’s exports to the neighbouring country worked out to USD 2.17 billion, or 0.83 per cent, of the total Indian outward shipments while imports were less than USD 500 million, or 0.13 per cent, of the total inward shipments.

The Prime Minister yesterday chaired a review meeting of 56-year-old Indus Water Treaty during which it was decided that India will “exploit to the maximum” the water of Pakistan-controlled rivers, including Jhelum, as per the water sharing pact.

Attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, the Water Resources Secretary, and senior PMO officials, the meeting also noted that the meeting of Indus Water Commission can “only take place in an atmosphere free of terror”.

New Delhi, Sept 26 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired a meeting to review the Indus Water treaty with Pakistan amidst heightened tension between the two countries.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, the Water Resources Secretary, and senior PMO officials are present at the meeting.

The review is being undertaken as India weighs options to give a befitting response to Pakistan in the wake of the Uri attack that left 18 soldiers dead.

There have been consistent calls in India that the government scrap the water distribution pact to mount pressure on Pakistan in the aftermath of the terror attack.

Under the treaty, which was signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960, water of six river – Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum – were to be shared between the two countries.

Pakistan has been complaining of not receiving enough water and gone for international arbitration in couple of cases.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had said last week that his state will fully support whatever decision is taken by the Union government on the 1960 agreement.

“The treaty has caused huge loss to Jammu and Kashmir” as the people of the state cannot fully utilise the waters of various rivers, particularly Chenab in Jammu, for agricultural and other activities, Singh had said.

“The state government will support whatever decision is taken by the central government on Indus Waters Treaty,” he had said.

India had last week made it clear that “mutual trust and cooperation” was important for such a treaty to work.